Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Josko Gvardiol could make his Manchester City debut on Friday.
City will begin their Premier League title defence on Friday when they make the short trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley.
The match is set to be a special occasion with former City captain and current Burnley manager Vincent Kompany taking on his old City boss Guardiola.
The presence of another centre-back – one who currently plays for City – could also make the occasion one to remember.
Gvardiol ‘ready’ to make debut
While speaking to the media on Thursday, Guardiola confirmed that Gvardiol is “ready and available” to play against the newly promoted side following his transfer from RB Leipzig.
After weeks of speculation and draw-out negotiations, City finally signed the 21-year-old defender last week in a €90m (£77.5m) deal.
Gvardiol signed a five-year contract to keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2028, although his deal includes the option of a further year.
RB Leipzig originally wanted €100m plus achievable add-ons for Gvardiol, but City managed to negotiate them down as well as scrap the inclusion of add-ons.
The deal reportedly includes an agreement for the clubs to play a friendly match in the future, with the revenues – expected to be up to £1.5m – to go entirely to the Bundesliga club.
City officially announced the signing of Gvardiol on Saturday after he flew to Manchester and completed his medical the previous day.
His arrival came too late for him to play any part in City’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, although he was present at Wembley Stadium.
Guardiola started Manuel Akanji at left-back during that match, a role Gvardiol could find himself in at times this season if the manager continues to use a four-centre-back system.
If Gvardiol doesn’t feature on Friday then he could make his competitive debut for the club in the UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla on Wednesday.
